As a result of attaching person-conveying devices to buildings, vibrations can be transmitted from the person-conveying device to the building and, accordingly, also from the building to the person-conveying device. Building vibrations can be triggered in particular by earthquakes in seismically active regions. The building vibrations arising can cause damage to the person-conveying device and even lead to the person-conveying device collapsing. It is therefore desirable to provide appropriate protective measures that are suitable to make a person-conveying device more robust with respect to building vibrations, in particular more robust to building vibrations caused by earthquakes.
For this purpose, an earthquake-resistant support for escalators or moving walkways is disclosed in the document WO 02/10054 A. Supports are provided for the building-side support at escalator ends or moving-walkway ends. These constructions do not reduce or at least do not substantially reduce the transmission of vibrations from the building to the escalator or the moving walkway.
Additionally, JP H0958956 discloses an upper support for an escalator, which is secured against longitudinal movements which are triggered by earthquakes. This construction is also not used substantially for the reduction of building vibrations transmitted to the escalator.
Furthermore, the document CN 201857195 U discloses an escalator which provides for seismic inhibition between building and escalator. In a way similar to the aforementioned support, this inhibition is intended to permit a certain displacement of the escalator on the supporting structure of the building. Vibrations can continue to be transmitted from the building to the escalator.
Furthermore, in order to reduce vibrations generated by the chain engagement of an escalator or a moving walkway, the document EP 1 262 440 A1 discloses an escalator or a moving walkway having a vibration damper, which is connected to the escalator or to the moving walkway within a self-supporting region. The escalator or the moving walkway is, however, not adapted to transmit vibrations from the building in a reduced manner to the escalator or the moving walkway. There is thus no particular safeguard which would prevent transmission of building vibrations that occur to the escalator, in particular upon the occurrence of an earthquake.
Thus a need exists to improve a person-conveying device, in particular in such a way that the same is better protected against damage by earthquakes and seismic loadings acting on the person-conveying device are reduced.